Mystery Plants
Taro
-"Elephant Ear" because of large leaves -Latin name: Colocasia esculenta -Family: Araceae -Origin: SE Asica, especially India & Malaysia -Edible Part: corm & leaves; starch in corm is 98.8% digestible (very high) -wetland herbaceous perennial plant -Relatives: Amorphophallus titanum, calla lily, monstera -Taro is one of the oldest plants to be cultivated (~10,000-7,000 years ago); grows in wetland, swampy areas; found preserved starch grains in New Guinea -staple plant in Hawai'i (used to have 300 varieties, now its ~87); "kalo" in Hawaiian; classified as an invasive species in Hawai'i -taro is widely naturalized; is a polyploid plant (some are diploid, some are triploid) -Kalo folklore: eldest sibling of the Hawaiian people, used as medicine and in ritual; often fed to babies as their 1st whole/natural healthy food & to elderly because its easy to digest & has lots of vitamins -it's the men's role to cultivate taro in Hawai'i -poi: made from wetland variety of taro, mash taro cooked in an underground oven & add water to stretch it, eat with 2 fingers in a bowl; can last for days/weeks, but sours after the first day -culinary use: Malaysian yam rice, Filipino Laing, Indian masala arbi -leaves have Vitamin A, B, C -hypoallergenic food; but too much can make your mouth itch -Pinatubo Negritos of Phillipines would feed boiled leaves & corms to women experiencing difficult childbirth; also has a laxative property, & used as an antidote to insect bites & stings -medicinal uses of taro use raw corm -in Hawai'i, taro juice with sugar is taken orally to reduce fever, also for constipation, tuberculosis, etc. -many taro farmers/advocates oppose GMOs and patenting taro varieties because of cultural significance; commodification/non-traditional cultivation has made the crop weaker, 90% of taro sold commercially is only 1 variety (lacks genetic diversity) -Taro Security Bill: banned using & developing GMOs for all Hawaiian varieties of taro; passed in 2009 -taro is a polymorphous plant
Durian
-"King of Fruits" -Origin: Borneo, Malaysia -Latin name: Durio zibethinus; 30+ species in Durio genus -Family: Malvaceae -Relatives: chocolate, okra, hibiscus, cotton, cola nut (aril is used to flavor Coca-Cola), baobab trees (absorb lots of water, can be leaned on on a hot day to cool down) -Fruit Type: capsule, has 4 ovary walls (carpels) -Phyllotaxy: simple, alternate leaf -Durian is stinky, smells of rotten eggs/flesh, many complex flavors & texture -kills more people a year than sharks, they grow on trees and have spikes on the outer shell of the ovary -Edible Parts: flowers, seeds, aril -Durian flowers are very fleshy, meaty, mushroom-like -durians are dicots (seeds have 2 cotyledons) -vegenaise sticky texture comes from durian seed gum extract, can also be used as a substitute for wheat flour, glue, and can absorb dyes from aqueous solutions -Durian has thiamin (b1), iron, zinc, other essential minerals, high in calories -durian helps constipation, bloating, indigestion, increases HDL ("good cholesterol"), high in omega-3's, treats insomnia, infertility in men -sequenced Durian genome in 2017, has 2x the amount of genes in the human genome; abundant genes regulate the S pathway, which gives the complex smell -Durian flowers are white and open at night, therefore pollinated by nocturnal animals (bats, rats, insects/moths) -durian has a large nectary that attracts fruit bats -durian husks can be turned into paper, can be used to make biochar to add to soil/absorb heavy metals, can be used to make activated carbon electrodes -many fruits with edible arils are found in Malaysia (lychee, rambutan, mangosteen, longans, snakefruit) -durian seeds are dispersed by mammals: orangutans, sunbears, and humans
Quinoa
-Family: Chenopodiaceae, desert family -Species: Chenopodium quinoa -Relatives: spinach, beets, chard -Fruit type: psuedo-cereal (pseudo because its not Poaceae family), achenes -Edible part: seed -Origin: Andes Mountains -Amaranthaceae family is a close relative, but is generally a tropical family -quinoa is an annual herbaceous plants, is photoperiod & temperature sensitive (prefers cooler temperature and short days) -has bisexual and pistillate flowers, deep taproots -contains saponins to deter herbivores -yellow/red quinoa has betalins that are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties -quinoa contains antioxidants, is high in fiber, and a good source of iron; can decrease risk of heart disease, some cancers & eye disorders -grows to be 3-9 ft tall -ready to harvest when plants dry and loses leaves -1 cup quinoa = 8g protein, contains the essential amino acid lysine (good to pair with grains that don't contain that) -Quinoa showed up ~5,000 years ago in Andes Mountains; sacred grain to Incas, called the "mother of all grains" or "chisaya mama" -Incan emperor would ceremoniously plant the first quinoa seeds every year -Quinoa is important to Incan descendants (the Quechua and Aymara peoples) -1532, Spanish conqueror came to Peru and outlawed cultivation of quinoa to get rid of cultural aspects of Incas -it wasn't until 1970s that quinoa was cultivated again by Incas -quinoa can be used to make beer and whiskey
Dioscorea (genus)
-Family: Dioscoreaceae -Genus: Dioscorea (yam genus); contains over 600 species, 10 cultivated globally; generally tropical & very widespread -Edible part: tubers -Popular species: purple yam/"ube" (Dioscorea alata), chinese yam. (Dioscorea polystachya) -sweet potatoes (Convolvulaceae) ARE NOT yams! -tuberous, herbaceous, perennial lianas -liana: viney plant -Dioscorea alata: purple yam or "ube"; origin is unknown; mostly associated with traditional Indonesian culture -Dioscorea polystachya: Chinese yam or "Nagaimo"; origin is China, grows throughout E. Asia; classified as invasive species; used in Traditional Chinese Medicine -Dioscorea have food, medicinal, & cultural uses/significance -Dioscorea are important crops for 300million+ people -Iwa-ji (New Yam) Festival: celebration of Igbo harvest in Africa, up to a week of celebrations, the festival is centered around art, color, and feasting -Mexican Barbasco Trade: in 1950s, Dioscorea barbasco yams were processed in the steroid industry because they contained cortisone; studied for antimicrobial, antibacterial, antioxidant traits; Diosgenin is used for steroids but has many potential uses, including anti-cancer -Dioscorea gave us the birth control pill, progesterone in D. mexicana was isolated & is now synthetically made
Chili Pepper
-Family: Solanaceae -Genus: Capsicum -Important Relatives: tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, tobacco, eggplant -Fruit type = berry -earliest cultivar found was ~7,000 year old seed in Mexico -5 species native to Americas: C. annuum, C. fructescens, C. baccatum, C. pubescens, C. chinensis -hottest chilis are C. chinensis, including habanero, native to the Amazon basin -there is ~20,000,000 metric tons produced globally every year, mainly in China -alkaloids: chemical class; medicines, poisons, hallucinogenic, psychoactive, etc. -chili peppers have many varieties that vary in size, shape, & spiciness; this is mainly due to artificial selection ("domestication") -sweet peppers lack the dominant allele for producing capsaicin (i.e: bell, banana, etc) -"chamber" in pepper is a carpel; space within the chamber = locule; bell pepper has 3 separate carpels -capsaicin: active ingredient in spicy peppers; alkaloid; humans can detect 1/1000th of a drop & isn't broken down in our digestive process; spice is most likely a defense mechanism to prevent being eaten -chili peppers are naturally dispersed by birds, who cannot detect capsaicin -Scoville Heat Units (SHU): developed by a farmer/pharmacologist Wilbur Scoville, also a professor at U. Mass; SHU is how many times you need to dilute a pure extraction of a pepper to get no spiciness; people now used High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to measure amounts of capsaicin in ppm -pure capsaicin is 16 million SHU -Capsaicin (~0.075%) can be used as a topical analgesic cream to help arthritis, tendonitis, & muscular strains -other uses of capsaicin: tear gas in warfare, pepper spray, food preservative (why tropical people have so many spicy foods), helps with sore throats, food coloring, cooking (high in vitamin A/C), flavoring of ginger ale/beer
Banana (genus)
-Genus: Musa -Family: Musaceae -Origin: SE Asia and South Pacific -Fruit type: pseudo-berry (from inferior ovary) -monocot -over 1000 varieties of banana -bananas are a giant, perennial herb -manila hemp: banana plant used to make fiber; "pseudo-fiber" -most popular grocery banana: Cavendish; monoculture for eating; under threat of disease, each year the banana production is reduced by 40% -many vitamins/minerals, B9, tryptophan (can increase serotonin levels) -pith: can help stomach ailments/diabetes -flowers: ulcers, bronchitis -sap: adhesive, stop hemorrhaging -leaves: have polyphenols -rhizomes: digestive disorders -Hindu mythology: Rishi Durvasa cursed his wife into a holy/special banana plant; leaves/fruits used as offerings; leaves are used in marriage to symbolize prosperity; Banana bride - Ganesh transformed a banana tree into a bride, Kola Bon, during Durga Puja resources -Dark history: chiquita (modern-day version of United Fruit Company), UFC & Boston Fruit Company combined in 1800s to buy up banana plantations -Banana Massacre: workers striked against conditions, UFC went to Columbian government to deal with strikers & the government killed 1-2000 people -Banana Republic: country with depressed economy that are dependent on export crops; countries are controlled by companies; UFC had banana republic in Honduras (still does); 1911, Cuyamel Fruit Company held a coup & successfully overthrew the Honduran government -bananas = most eaten fruit in US -bananas are grown in 150 countries -bananas also have "pseudo-stems", made of base of petioles around a central meristem -banana plantations encroach on elephant habitats -skin of banana = exocarp; we eat the mesocarp -wild bananas have large seeds -bananas we eat are seedless, because they are triploid sterile
Turmeric
-Haldi ceremony: takes place the day before a Hindu wedding; paste is used to put on groom/bride to purify their mind and body -Latin name: Curcuma longa L. -Family: Zingiberaceae -Origin: India & Sri Lanka -Edible parts: rhizome and leaves -Planting season: May to August; Harvest season: January to March -turmeric is used to preserve food, as spice, and as a natural dye -in 2000-1500 BCE, a group of Steppe pastoralists in India worshipped turmeric for its golden color, similar to the sun -around 1750, turmeric became commercially available because of curry powders; India produces 75% of world's turmeric -in Hinduism: turmeric symbolizes inner purity and pride -in Ayurvedic medicine: used for congestion, wounds, as insect repellant, & upper respiratory disorders -in Western science: used as a dietary supplement for anti-inflammatory/immune boosting properties; could lower cholesterol or treat cancer -Buddhist monks dye robes with turmeric or saffron -consume turmeric with black pepper for full absorption
Cashew(Apple)
-Latin name: Anacardium occidentale -Family: Anacardiaceae -Origin: Brazil, can be planted in most warm tropical regions -Relatives: Mango, poison sumac, pistachio, poison oak -Folklore: Seeds left fruit to experience the world before being eaten, & their wish was granted by a fairy, but the seeds didn't like being unprotected because of exposure to weather, herbivores etc. The moral of the story is that nature is created for a reason, if you change yourself, you will be out of balance - you're created for a reason -Fruit type: drupe, the apple is the enlarged pedicel -Can eat the cashew apple raw and juice can be made to alcohol (feni); cashew can be eaten and used to make oil -About 100,000 tons of cashew apples go to waste because cashew "nuts" can't be transported without being connected to the apple -feni: alcohol, produced in Goa (India) for ~450 years; strong, fruity flavor and aroma; 43-45% alcohol content; medicinal properties = work sickness, colds, irregular bowel movement; made from ripe cashew apples, stomp on them, drain in mud-sealed drums & distilled over fire -medicinal properties of cashew: leaves/bark helps colid and diarrhea, ulcers, sore throat/flu, lowers blood sugar and pressure; used by Cubans for colds -cashew oil has Vitamins A, D, K, zinc, fatty acids, antioxidants, moisturizes skin -cashew apple is antibacterial, Vitamin C, anti-inflammatory -urushiol: produced on the shells of cashews; toxic
Jackfruit
-Latin name: Artocarpus heterophyllus -Origin: Western Ghats of S. India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia -Family: Moraceae -Edible Part: mainly the aril (yellow/orange part) -Flower: cauliflorous (plants that flower/fruit from main stems or woody trunks) -Phyllotaxy: alternate & spirally arranged -can be eaten ripe & unripe -monoecious plant -multiple fruit -domesticated separately in S. Asia & SE Asia -avani palaka: priest's seat in Hindu ceremonies, made of jackfruit wood -called the "poor man's fruit" because it is cheap, & plentiful in the summer months -increasing popularity in US/Canada -Uncle Jack: 1915, member of Sri Lanka's independence movement, Arthur V. Dias, planted jackfruit trees throughout Sri Lanka to promote food sovereignty; helped established food security in WW2 -jackfruit has vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants -seeds have protein, potassium, calcium, iron -jackfruit can control sodium levels to lower blood pressure, anti-inflammatory -the fruit/root is used for tapeworm infections -sweet when ripe, when unripe they are meatier (like an artichoke) -jackfruit tree has latex, which can be used as glue -jackfruit is very drought-resistant, doesn't absorb many nutrients - so you can grow other foods around it & they can still thrive; could be a potentially good food source during climate change -jackfruit is the largest fruit, can easily get up to 100lbs
Saffron
-Latin name: Crocus sativus -Family: Iridaceae -Origin: Greece -Edible Parts: stigma -saffron plants are male-sterile, can only be propagated vegetatively via corm; there is an agricultural advantage to saffron -the plant is sterile because it is triploid -saffron is very expensive, worth more than gold, $5,000/yr -each flower only has 3 stigmas and are handpicked, then dried -Folklore: Crocus was a mortal and a lover of Greek god Hermes, who transformed Crocus into a flower, and 3 drops of blood from his head became the stigmas of the flower -Saffron War -saffron is used in paella, biryani rice -crocin: carotenoid pigment, gives dishes a yellow-gold hue; "metallic honey" aroma, hay-like sweet taste -common saffron substitutes are safflower and turmeric -used in Middle East & India for anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac, relaxant properties -used in Europe to prevent bleeding, added to wine in Rome to prevent hangover -used in Western medicine for antidepressant, respiratory ailments, ocular disorders, calms CNS, anti-Alzheimer's (uses petal and stigma in study) -Hinduism: saffron paste is used to anoint deities, used in many tilak/bindi paste, and the color is religiously significant -Buddhism: dyes monk robes with it, color symbolizes highest state of perfection -saffron corm has nodes that go around the stem, "cormlets"; cormlets can be planted for propagation
Chinese Star Anise
-Latin name: Illicium verum -Family: Illiaceae -Origin: SE China and Vietnam -Edible Part: follicle of flower -the fruit has 8 follicles, with 1 seed per follicle; star anise fruits are harvested before ripening and are dried -star anise was traditionally used in S. China & SE Asia for 3,000+ years -English sailors in the 15/16th century introduced star anise to Europe -finding a star anise with more than 8 follicles is considered lucky & provides protection against the evil eye -evil eye: curse cast by a malicious glare at an unsuspecting person; concept is found across many different cultures -star anise is used in traditional E. Asian medicine for anti-inflammatory properties, help with digestion, increasing circulation, & antibacterial properties; also has many antioxidants -star anise is typically consumed in the form of an herbal infusion (tea) -shikimic acid: active compound in star anise; is used in Tamiflu medication -Chinese 5 spice: symbolizes all 5 elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, & water); star anise provides the sweet flavor in this spice -Japanese star anise: close relative but isn't edible (toxic), differentiated from Chinese star anise by its smell - Chinese star anise is much more fragrant
Cassava
-Latin name: Maninot esculenta crantz -Family: Euphorbiaceae -Relatives: croton, rubber tree, & spurge -Cassava was domesticated from a tuber over 10,000 years ago in Southern Brazil & E. Bolivia via clone propagation -Edible parts: modified root, which is covered by a toxic bark (contains cyanide) -Cassava leaves are toxic, & need to be detoxified before eating; can produce 20-50mg of cyanide per root -Mixing cassava with flour and water into a paste, let sit in shade for 5 hours - removes 83% of cyanide -Kwashikor: disease due to protein malnutrition, affects kids 5 years & younger, associated with a cassava/maize/rice heavy diet -4th most important staple in the world -can be ground into flour for gluten free food, in Suriname/Brazil they chew up cassava to turn it into alcohol, cassava starch is used to make tapioca by the Tupi peoples of Brazil -Tapioca was brought to Taiwan in 1983 and was added to teas (boba) -Samoans used cassava to induce abortion due to the toxins -alcohol based extracts can treat diarrhea -very drought-tolerant plant and is very easy to propagate; there are different cultural ways to prepare cassava to remove cyanide/toxicity of plant which reflect the different plant-people relationships across the world; "parallel cultural evolution" -tuber: modified stem -sap: fluid that comes out of the phloem -latex: secreted by specialized glands, produced for protection & anti-microbial properties
Bitter Melon
-Latin name: Momordica charantia -Family: Curcubitaceae -Origin: native to subtropical Africa & Asia; very popular in Japan, China, India, etc -Relatives: pumpkin, squash, cantaloupe -annual plant -Edible Parts: fruit and leaves -Fruit type: pepo (fleshy fruit with leathery/hard exocarp, derived from inferior ovary) -the seeds are toxic, but can be used medicinally; seeds are nontoxic after cooking -the melon is harvested for its bitterness; bitter flavor generally indicates alkaloid presence - it's really good for you -bitter melon is high in vitamins/minerals A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B9, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous, etc; it is also very high in antioxidants -the antioxidant value increases when boiled -Bitter melon is used in traditional medicines in India, China, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, etc. -In India/Mexico, it's used to treat type 2 diabetes; contains a compound very similar to insulin (eat once a week if you have type 2 diabetes, effects are long-term) -can also help with HIV, inflammation, & gout -used for abortions/birth control -thought to stimulate immune system and fight infections -very well-studied in Western medicine because of all of its medicinal properties
Nutmeg
-Latin name: Myrsitica fragrans -Family: Myristaceae; typically fragrant, tropical trees -Fruit type: drupe -Edible: seed, potentially the aril (?) -Mace: the aril around nutmeg; red color; similar oil content to nutmeg and can be used to preserve things -aril: fleshy seed coat, surrounds the endocarp -Virola: genus of S. American trees, have antifungal properties & can be used for scents and candles -nutmeg trees don't fruit until 9 years, and fruit for 75 years after that -nutmeg seed is beaten to a pulp with water, pressed between heated plates to produce an oil; this makes "nutmeg butter" -there is a large global nutmeg trade; the seed coat is dried until the seed inside rattles around, the shell is broken & the seed is grated to be used as a spice -Middle East: used nutmeg for digestive issues, treat kidney disease -Middle Ages Europe: used for intestinal ailments, to preserve food, induce abortions; thought to help fight the bubonic plague -nutmeg was traded from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia for coffee and silk; the Islamic people of Saudi Arabia converted Indonesians through this trade -Dutch East India Company: wanted a monopoly of an efficient nutmeg trade; killed thousands of people & enslaved others in Indonesia (pretty much a genocide); they did this because of its anti-black plague properties and took over production of nutmeg on all Indonesian islands except for Run; this was the first plant-associated genocide in history -nutmeg has toxic/hallucinogenic properties; up to 1-2mg/kg body weight can give nervous system effects; the hallucinogenic is thought to be myristicin compound; Malcolm X got high on nutmeg in prison; not recommended because of its toxicity -colonization was largely fueled by the search for plants
Sacred Lotus
-Latin name: Nelumbo nucifera -Origin: SE Asia, hard to pinpoint because of cultivation/distribution -Edible Parts: every part is edible, rhizomes are very starchy, leaves can be used to wrap food, petals/stamens are used in teas -aquatic herb with submerged horizontal stems (rhizomes) -leaf blades float on/emerge from the water -can occupy water as deep as 6-7ft -parts of lotus can be eaten raw, but should be eaten cooked because of parasite transmission risk -fiber/complex carbohydrates in lotus root can manage body's cholesterol or blood sugar; has Vitamin B/C, iron, potassium, copper, thiamine (B1), zinc, etc. -Chinese medicine: flowers used to stop bleeding, seeds used for digestive disorders, lotus is used to regulate menstrual cycle/bleeding after childbirth -lotus flower is sacred in Chinese, Tibetan, & Indian culture (mainly because of importance in Buddhism, but also for other reasons) -Hinduism: symbol of fertility, beauty, prosperity -Buddhism: Buddha was born on a lotus flower, and the flower/plants represents cycle of life & death; Buddhist temples are often decorated with lotus flower -Lotus seeds are often used in Vietnamese cuisine, as well as the flowers -lotus is being overharvested and we're running out of wetlands areas - becoming rare in many parts of Asia -lotus flowers close at night and trap insects for pollination -holes in the rhizome are aerenchyma, which traps air to be stored when oxygen is limited (since its an aquatic plant); also provides buoyancy in the water; the petioles have them as well
Jicama
-Latin name: Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urb. -Family: Fabaceae -Origin: Mexico, Central/South America; cultivated by Aztecs and Mayans as a staple crop -Edible parts: taproot -Jicama is a legume plant that has poisonous leaves, vine & bean pods; contains rotenone -Jicama is served as street food with lime & chili pepper, used as decorations for Day of the Dead altars as an offering -Jicama seeds are used medicinally to treat skin conditions in Mexico -in China, jicama is stir-fried, steamed, boiled, etc. & used to treat fevers and inflammation of the throat/tonsils -jicama contains Vitamin A/C, calcium, phosphorous, iron, folate, magnesium, & fiber; very high in prebiotics -jicama has antifungal activity that inhibits a common fungus that impacts corn (oleoresin), they are often grown together -jicama has a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria -Central/S. American natives used jicama toxins to kill fish
Allspice
-Latin name: Pimenta dioica -Family: Myrtaceae -Members: guava, eucalyptus, tea tree, cloves, rose apple -Fruit type: pseudo-berry (berries are technically from superior ovaries/hypogynous), takes 3-4 months to mature -Origin: Jamaica -small evergreen tree -dioecious, but structurally (not functionally), hermaphroditic -inferior ovary (epigynous) -produced commercially in Jamaica, Mexico, Cuba, Honduras & Trinidad; allspice from Jamaica is said to have the most oil -takes 7 years for the tree to flower -birds are natural dispersers -clip twigs/smaller parts to remove berries; dried in the sun or by a machine -oil produces the aromatics & flavors -encountered by Columbus on his 2nd voyage to New World around 1494 & thought allspice was black pepper -health benefits: Jamaicans use it to menstrual cramps, upset stomach; used in Cuba for indigestion; used in Ayurveda for respiratory congestion and toothaches -Eugenol: polyphenol; stimulates digestive enzymes, has analgesic effects, anti-inflammatory/anti-fungal -allspice also has Gallic acid and Quercetin -allspice is used in Jamaican jerk, & Sopa de Fideo (Mexico); used to flavor ketchup -17th-century pirates put allspice on meats to preserve for long sea voyages (gave the name buccaneers from French name for this process) -Mayans used allspice to flavor chocolate (xocolatl/xocoatl) -allspice is on Jamaican stamps
Sugarcane
-Latin name: Saccharum officinarum -Family: Poaceae -Origin: tropical regions of India, SE Asia, & New Guinea -Members: rice, maize, barley, wheat -world's largest cultivated crop -tall, perennial plant, monocot -looks a lot like bamboo ("twins"), but are unrelated -forms lateral shoots at base to produce multiple stems -has jointed, fibrous stalks rich in sucrose -inflorescence -products: sucrose, bagasse (fibrous material), ethanol (byproduct of yeast fermentation), molasses (viscous liquid remaining after sucrose is extracted) -originally domesticated in 8000 BCE in New Guinea; sucrose was originally extracted by chewing -in 5th century AD, Indian chemist found a way to crystallize extracted sucrose -sugarcane production is heavily linked to slavery in Americas -Hawai'i: "Ko", planted/used as a windbreak; leaves are used as root thatching, juice to sweeten medicinal concoctions -Hinduism: important part of Pongal festival, celebrated in S. India; symbolizes sweetness/happiness; linked to Shiva -Health benefits: alkaline, Vitamin A/B/C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron; enhances liver function, cancer treatment, indigestion, diabetes, kidney health, prevents tooth decay/aches -sucrose is in pith; 50% fiber, many parenchyma cells with amyloplasts (organelles that store sugar) -Triangular Trade: West Africa, Jamaica, Europe; sugar & rum were a massive part of this; Louisiana was the state with the most production because of slavery -a lot of Philippines folklore surrounding sugarcane & how it got kicked out of the bamboo family but is now its cousin; this shows how people understood taxonomy & plant's relationships to each other (closely related, but not in same family) -huge Indian community in Jamaica because they were brought in as slaves to work in sugarcane production -rum: distilled sugarcane juice
Chia
-Latin name: Salvia hispanica; Mexican/salba chia -Family: Lamiaceae -Origin: S. Mexico, Guatemala -Edible Part: seeds -Aztecs roasted the seeds and then ground them up into flour -Health benefits: omega-3's, fiber, protein, calcium; good for energy, respiratory infections, etc -annual herbaceous plant, and is resistant to insects, pests, & disease -pre-Columbian Aztecs used it as a sustainable food source, had medicinal/religious value, banned by colonizers -Aztecs used them as early as 3500 BC, ate chia seeds before a long run or battle; used chia seed oil for art & ceremonial body paint; offered chia seeds to goddess Chizomaetl -in water, chia seeds expand and have mucilage; the pectin swells & breaks through cell wall, creating mucilage (pectin = layer between cell membrane and primary cell wall) -native women would harvest by holding a basket under the plant and shaking it, the seeds would fall into the basket -introduced to Western society by Wayne Coates in the '90s as a health food/alternative crop; also by chia pets -mucilage could be an adaptation to rocky soil, to avoid damage; mucilage is common in the Lamiaceae family -Salvia columborae - "California chia"; Native Americans used this to put on eyes to treat infection -fruit type: nutlets, Lamiaceae family fruit type, have 4 nutlets per flower; chia seed = nutlet with seed inside (nut = seed coat is tightly fused to the fruit)
Tamarind
-Latin name: Tamarindus indica; monotype genus (only one species) -Edible part: aril/mesocarp pulp around seeds (debate about aril or mesocarp) -Fruit type: legume -Family: Fabaceae -Phyllotaxy: pinnately or palmately compound -Origin: controversy around origin but believed to be Savannas of Africa, the Sahel -2 main varieties: sweet and sour -flower has 5 distinct petals, 10 stamens -India is one of the largest producers of tamarind -because the plant is so acidic, other plants can't grow around it -tamarind has antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, Vitamins B1/2/3, iron -Medicinal: uses seed extract, leaves, fruit, and root bark; used for throat infections, ulcers, intestinal worms, abortions & birth control -tamarind can also be used as a metal polish when mixed with salt -lumber from tamarind tree is used and is supposed to be very durable & therefore is expensive -tamarind is often made into candy, mix paste with sugar to make syrup & jam
Cacao
-Latin name: Theobroma cacao -Family: Malvaceae -Relatives: jackfruit, okra -Fruit type: berry -monoecious plant, self-sterile (increases genetic diversity), pollinated by the "biting midge" -cauliflorous (fruit directly attached directly to stem), like jackfruit & figs -Mayan name "Kakaw", given to people by Plumed Serpent deity; consumed it with vanilla, honey, chili powder in a ceremonial drink -pots dated to 1500 BC were found that contain theobromin in cacao -sugar + cacao = hot chocolate; made it so that only rich people could consume it, because sugar is so expensive -seeds are removed from pods & allowed to dry/slightly ferment; seeds are then crushed to separate cacao from fat ("liquer") -margins on cacao in econ = very tight -chocolate is very stable on shelves (can be shipped globally and saved for a while) -white chocolate doesn't have cacao, only fat from cacao -theobromins in cacao = stimulant; why its bad for dogs and people with heart disease -child slavery is a main way of harvesting chocolate (used by Nestle, Hersheys) -chocolate can't be grown in many countries because the biting midge isn't everywhere (specialized pollinator)
Vanilla
-Latin name: Vanilla plentifolia -Family: Orchidaceae; vanilla = most economically important in the fam -Origin: Mexico (Veracruz) -Fruit type: dehiscent capsule -Totonac peoples used vanilla for sacred rituals, cultivated it, treated lung/stomach disorders, cleaned infections/draw out venom -Xanath, daughter of a nobleman fell in love with a poor man Tzarahuin; Xanath was cursed to be the vanilla plants, & Tzarahuin was cursed to be the Melapona bee, the only pollinator of the flower -Aztecs used vanilla to increase sex drive by drinking cacahuatl, after they conquered the Totonac peoples -cacahuatl: sacred drink; made of chili, chocolate, & vanilla -Vanilla co-evolved with the Melapona bee, which makes it very hard to cultivate - farmers must hand pollinate each flower -Vanilla flowers only bloom once a year for a 24-hour period and requires hand pollination (push back the rostulum that separates the male and female parts); which is why its so expensive -Edmond Albius: discovered an efficient way to hand-pollinate vanilla; his technique is still used today; was a slave -Thomas Jefferson popularized/"created" the first vanilla ice cream recipe -vanillin: molecule that provides the flavor of vanilla -ripe vanilla beans are harvested, dried & rehydrated with microbes, dried again to create a sweeter, more natural vanilla flavor -vanilla plant & some other orchids have little endosperm, because their seeds are so small; they require a mycorrhizal relationship for nutrients -cheap vanilla is made from byproducts of the wood/oil industry
Betel
-Scientific name: Piper betle -Family: Piperaceae ("pepper family") -Origin: central/E. Malaysia -Relatives: black pepper, kava, cubeb -Phyllotaxy: simple, alternate -Medicinal uses: pain alleviation, eases constipation, increases digestion, decrease respiratory issues, antiseptic/antifungal -Betel is a perennial, dioecious plant -grows well in subtropical climate & is vulnerable to weather changes -leaf yield in 1 harvest per vine can be 50-65 leaves & flowering is rare -people chewed betel leaves in India as early as 400BC -used in Chinese folk medicine because of its detox and antioxidant properties -quid: when betel leaves are chewed with betel nut, lime, and sometimes tobacco -there are health risks when chewing quid, it is addictive and can lead to esophageal/mouth cancer, heart disease, etc -the betel leaf itself isn't psychoactive/a health risk; could have an alkaloid that's overly expressed in presence of tobacco/betel nut; mild stimulant -paan: Indian dish, betel leaf stuffed with betel nut; there is also paan ice cream and shots after meals -betel nut comes from a palm, Areca catechu (Arecaceae)
